29.04.25 - 06.05.2025
For our first sprint, we chose to re-code MMVII. Gesundheit, Glück und Geld im Neuen Jahr (2006) by Anton Bruhin. We were immediately drawn to the visuals of the work, especially its abstract compositions and pixelated textures. The piece is eye-catching and creates a strong foundation to build on. The fact that it includes several components and opportunities to reimagine the work was one of the main reasons why we chose it. Each of us could select an aspect of the work and transform it into something new through code while experimenting based on personal interests and skill levels.
We could not find a lot of information about this specific work in our research, so we can't say for sure how exactly Bruhin created it. We found that he had created similar pieces using Microsoft Paint or Microsoft Word, and we assume this one was made with similar digital tools.
What fascinated me most was the visual effect that resembles the interference seen when photographing a digital screen. Through research I found that this phenomenon is known as the moiré effect and it occurs when two similar patterns overlap at slight offsets, creating new, often surprising patterns. Bruhin's work captures this sensation within a static pixel grid, simulating motion and depth through simple repetition or inversion. I started by building a pixel grid, since the work clearly relies on pixel-based patterns. My first step was recreating a background of black and white horizontal stripes. I then experimented with two main techniques: obstruction, which turns areas into vertical black and white stripes based on adjacent pixel colors, and inversion, which flips pixel colors.
At first, I applied these to rectangles, but since many shapes in Bruhin's work appear curved, I extended the approach to circles. This was more challenging due to pixel calculations. By combining obstruction and inversion, I could create an illusion of depth, making circles appear like raised buttons.
Next, I experimented with animation, repetition, and background variations. One of the most visually exciting effects came from repeatedly inverting slightly offset circles. This layering technique created visuals similar to the moiré patterns that initially caught my attention.
Finally, I explored interactivity by adding a real-time camera layer. In this version, the darker areas of the live feed are dynamically obstructed, resulting in a responsive, evolving graphic.
